-Saturday, September 8, 5:12 pm / Rose & Kanaya's condo-
Katrina: 16 months, 2 days old
Casey: 23 months, 3 weeks old
Rose: 6 weeks along
Rose continued to wipe down the kitchen table with a sigh as Kanaya came into the kitchen to check on the grilled salmon. "Rose," said the troll as she turned over one of the filets, "are you alright?"
The blonde sighed and stopped cleaning. "I'm...not sure," she admitted, setting down the Clorox wipe. "I can't believe we're actually telling them today. I still don't think we're ready."
"Rose, everything will be all right," the jade blood assured, setting down the tongs to embrace her wife. "I just know your mother will be enthusiastic about this, and John's father, too! After all, he will be your stepfather soon…"
"Don't remind me." She rolled her eyes and resumed cleaning, this time the countertops. "I'm not ready for all this, Kanaya. If we took this one step at a time, it might be better, but it's literally just one thing after another."
"Rose," Kanaya half-whined, half-sighed. "I keep telling you, it will be okay. I promise."
"Alright," the human finally agreed. "But be prepared to be asked lots of questions"
The two continued to prepare for the dinner, Kanaya keeping an eye on the food and Rose continuing to clean their condo. After just a few more minutes of preparing the meal, the two set the food, in nice china dishes, on the table: the aforementioned grilled salmon, steamed brown rice, lentils, and a classic Italian-style salad with raspberry vinaigrette. Rose had just finished setting the silverware on the table when the doorbell rang.
Kanaya let out a long sigh and apologetically looked at her wife. "Here goes nothing," she sighed before going to answer the door.
The jade-blooded troll was met with the faces of her soon-to-be-in-laws, plus her mother-in-law, Vriska, and Casey. "Do come in," she said with a smile, stepping out of the way to let the Egberts and elder Lalonde in.
"It smells delicious," Mr. Egbert told his future stepdaughter-in-law with a smile, setting his hat down by the counter, next to Roxy's purse. "What did you make, exactly?"
"Grilled salmon, lentils, rice, and salad." Kanaya continued to lead the others to the table. "What would you like to drink? We have iced tea, champagne, water…"
"I'll just have water," said Mr. Egbert as he pulled out a chair for his fiancée.
Rose, who had attempted to escape by running to the bathroom, sighed and collected herself before walking back out to join her family. "Hi," she nervously announced, remembering she was a hostess. "Anything to drink…?"
Once the couple had fixed everyone a drink, they sat down to actually eat dinner. "How is the wedding coming along?" Rose nervously asked her mother, trying to avoid the subject of babies for as long as possible.
"Oh, it's fantastic," exclaimed Ms. Lalonde before taking a sip from her champagne glass. "We sent out the invitations today. It'll be in October, at a bed and breakfast not too far from here."
"That sounds nice," Kanaya said to her mother-in-law. She cut another piece off of her salmon and ate it. "Any special plans?"
"Not really," the older woman admitted. "My wedding dress isn't even a traditional dress—I ordered it online, for God's sake!—and I'm not really sure if we'll go on a honeymoon. If we do, though, I'd like to go to Savannah."
They continued to talk about Mr. Egbert and Ms. Lalonde's wedding before shifting the conversation over to what John and Vriska had been doing. "Well, we were going to register Casey for nursery school this upcoming school year," the blue blood told her family, glancing at the toddler, "but the age cutoff date is September first. I guess we'll just have to wait another year."
"Well, at least this way, she'll be able to be with Katrina, since Katrina isn't old enough either," responded Kanaya.
Rose had continued to stay silent through all of this, but still paid attention to the conversation to avoid being asked questions.
"...How's Terezi?" Kanaya asked the younger Egberts. "I haven't talked to her lately; is she alright?"
"Oh, um…" Vriska set down her drink and wiped her hands on a napkin before continuing. "...she's still upset. She went back to school on Monday, which I guess is good to get her mind off of things. She really doesn't want to talk about it, obviously."
Kanaya nodded understandingly. "Was there a funeral, or some type of memorial service, or…?"
Vriska shook her head. "Karkat told me they did a private burial on Monday. It was just the three of them."
Mr. Egbert sighed, as he was remembering his first wife's death and burial almost twenty years earlier. "That's so sad. It's an awful feeling."
"What is?" Roxy asked. "Losing a child?"
The older man nodded and coughed, trying to think of something less depressing to talk about. "So, uh, Rose and Kanaya...do you ever think the two of you will have kids?"
Rose froze. The one question she had been trying to avoid all night had suddenly been forced upon her. She hesitated and her face began to get hot as she struggled to answer the question.
"Rose?" Roxy was concerned. "Are you feeling all right? You don't look very well."
Finally Rose couldn't take it any longer. "I'm pregnant," she blurted out, sighing a sigh of relief now that it was all over.
Everyone was silent for what seemed like forever. Kanaya was staring at her wife, a little shocked that she had actually done that. John, Vriska, Mr. Egbert, and Ms. Lalonde stared at Rose, half-confused, half-shocked about what she had just told them.
"...Really?!" Roxy exclaimed, jumping out of her chair to hug her daughter. "That's fantastic; oh my god! I'm going to be a grandma!"
Vriska smirked and punched Kanaya on the shoulder. "Nice job, Fussyfangs," she said suggestively.
John and Mr. Egbert glanced at each other, both thinking the exact same thing: How could Rose be pregnant if she and Kanaya were both girls?
"Does this mean you'll be the one giving me the grandchild this next time?" Mr. Egbert quietly whispered to his son.
John nervously laughed. "God, I hope not."
Everyone continued to excitedly (and confusedly) talk about the new baby. Rose was feeling extremely uncomfortable about the whole situation, and was thankful they were eating dinner so she could stuff her mouth full of food to avoid having to talk.
Eventually the family finished dinner and started to clean up. Rose washed some of the dishes, but soon began to feel overwhelmed and decided to escape to the master bedroom for a bit.
"Rose?" Roxy followed her daughter into the bedroom. "Can we talk?"
"Why?" Rose replied with a sigh. "What do you want?"
Roxy sighed as well and coaxed Rose to sit down next to her on the bed. "Rosie, hon," she began, "I'm worried about you."
Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Mom! I'm just...pregnant and hormonal, that's all."
"That's...exactly what I want to talk to you about." Ms. Lalonde sighed again. "I can tell you don't seem too happy about this, Rose. Be honest with me about this: Are you excited about the baby?"
Rose gulped. Should she lie and pretend everything was fine, or should she tell the truth and avoid being nagged about it by her mother?
"I'm...not sure."
Roxy's heart nearly stopped. Those were the exact words she was hoping not to hear. Surely Rose wouldn't question the situation after breaking the news to her family!
"Does...Kanaya know about your feelings?" Roxy quietly asked, trying her best not to cry.
Rose shook her head. "I...was going to talk to her about it tonight. I'm not sure I can do it, Mom. I'm really not. I don't think I was made to be a mom."
"That's exactly what I said when I found out I was having you, Rosie."
Rose looked up at her mother and cocked her head. "Really?"
Roxy slowly nodded. "I was a stupid college student who thought I could do anything. It was spring break of '95, and your...grandfather took a business trip to Texas. Something science-related, I can't remember all the details. Anyway, he decided to take me and my mom along with him since he rarely spent any time with us…"
-March 9, 1995 / Houston, Texas-
"Roxanne!" screamed Rosalynn Lalonde, motioning for her 21-year-old daughter. "Hurry up! Your father and I are ready to sleep!"
"I'm coming, Mamma!" Roxy rolled her eyes and ran after her parents into an elevator. Why did Mamma and Pappa force me to come on this stupid trip? she thought as several suitcases pushed her against the glass wall of the elevator. Stupid business trip, stupid five-star hotel, stupid Houston, Texas…
The bellhop let the Lalondes out of the elevator before taking the luggage down to their suite. "Your room," he politely said, setting down the bags for a second to unlock the door.
"Merci," said Mr. Lalonde in his pronounced French accent. Slightly irritated by the bellhop taking so long, he decided to pick up a few bags and take them into the room himself. He tipped the bellhop with a $20 before shutting the door and turning to his daughter.
"Business is very important tonight, Roxanne," he told his daughter. "Tonight you may go out and explore the city, but tomorrow the three of us are spending time together, do you understand?"
"Oui, Pappa…" Roxy sighed before being squeezed in a hug by her father. He reached into his wallet and pulled out several dollar bills, and handed them to her.
"Five hundred. Have fun tonight, mon petit chou."
"Thank you, Pappa!" Roxy threw her arms around her dad and kissed him on the cheek. "Merci, merci, merci, merci beaucoup!"
Of all places, I find myself at a nightclub, Roxy sighed before pushing the door open and coming face-to-face with a security guard. After being carded and waived inside, the blonde settled down at the bar, where she ordered a martini.
After receiving the drink, she turned around and nearly dropped her martini. "Hey," a blond man about her age said. He was wearing ridiculous-looking triangular shades and his hair appeared to have been spiked up with hair gel. "I'm the DJ here, and I noticed you over here, and I, uh...wanted to play a song for you."
"So you met my dad at a nightclub?!" exclaimed Rose, facepalming before falling back onto the bed. "And you had sex in a broom closet?!"
Roxy sadly nodded. "Not the best of places, I know. But I still have yet to make my point."
"Roxanne Cosette Lalonde!" screamed her father, his hands flying to his head as he began to walk around the room in frustration. "I cannot believe you! You are unmarried, twenty-one years old and have not even completed college!"
"But Pappa!" whined Roxy. "I'm so, so, so sorry! Je suis desolée!"
"J'en ai plus rien à foutre!" Mr. Lalonde shouted.
Mrs. Lalonde ran up to her husband and attempted to calm him down. "Richard, please...she just made a simple mistake…"
"Connerie!"
"I-I'll get an abortion," Roxy blurted, beginning to sob. "Anything, please, just don't make me leave!"
"But Mom…" Rose was confused. "...if you said you'd get an abortion, then why am I still here…?"
"Well, long story short," Roxy sighed, "I changed my mind. Your grandparents agreed to let me keep the baby—you—as long as I named you after one of them. And I did—Roseline, instead of Rosalynn."
"Wow…" Rose didn't know what to say. She couldn't say that her mother had fully convinced her everything would be all right, but she felt kind of bad about it.
"So Rose," concluded Roxy, "I'm just trying to tell you—no matter how hard this may seem, it will all be worth it in the end." She wrapped her daughter in a hug. "I love you, Rosie. Please don't be afraid."
"I...love you too, Mom."